Process

The National Task Force on Community Leadership (NTF) is in the process of developing a theory of change (TOC). Its purpose is to advance understanding of the factors that will enable community foundations to exercise community leadership on a
sustainable basis.

The National Task Force and CFLeads – its managing partner – are inviting anyone in the community foundation field to review the very first draft of a Theory of Change for Community Leadership by Individual Community Foundations (TOC-ICF).

This draft was critiqued by the NTF in December. Chief among the NTF’s concerns are that community foundations will view the theory of change as applying only to large community foundations and jump to the conclusion that all of the elements must be in place before a community foundation begins exercising community leadership. If this happens, we will have failed.

That is why it is important to understand what a theory of change is and is not – and where the Task Force is in the process – before commenting. Even if you are familiar with theory of change, we ask that you read through the next few pages before you look at the initial draft TOC-ICF.